Tilt
by lepetitbatonrouge
Summary: Magic. It has a way of interfering in Bonnie's life when she doesn't need it to. The time isn't any different.


**_i own nothing. sorry for any mistakes. no beta._**

* * *

She came to with a groan, squeezing her eyes shut, the back of her head throbbing.

"Wh-" she began to say but stopped feeling a hard surface beneath her, leaves rustling as she shifted about.

Bonnie cracked an eye open seeing that she was surrounded by trees, the moon lighting the dark night.

"The hell?" she murmured, gently rubbing the back of her head as she opened her other eye, rolling from her side to her back.

Bonnie winced removing her hand from her head, slowly sitting up. As soon as she did her stomach started to churn.

"Ugh," the young witch retched, emptying the content of her stomach.

"Damn, Bonnie," someone yelled, nearing the confused witch. "I didn't know you partied like that."

Bonnie lifted her head to see her former classmates, Brad and Lily, grinning down at her.

"Yeah, invite us next time," Tara said dragging Brad toward her destination. "Come on Brad, we're already late for the party." And the two were gone.

Confused, Bonnie rose to her feet, leaning on a tree. "That's not possible."

She started to think. The last thing she remembered was trying to save Damon from Tyler when she hit her head.

"What the hell?" she whispered, looking around her trying to understand what was happening. The last time she saw Brad and Tara was in high school. "What the hell?"

"Yo, Bonnie!"

Her head snapped to the right seeing the youngest Gilbert approach her. "Jeremy," she whispered.

"Hey, have you seen Anna around here?" he asked, moving his hair from his eyes.

"How?" she moved from the tree, closer to Jeremy.

He looked her at her funny. "How, what, Bonnie? Hey, you don't look too good. Are you okay?"

"No. No, I am definitely not okay," she shook her head, slightly. "What is going on, Jeremy? Where are we?"

"Bonnie, we're in Mystic Falls, where we've always been. Maybe you should go home. Hey, when did you cut your hair?"

"Wait. Wait. Did you said Anna?" her brows furrowed, her heart racing.

"Yeah, Anna. If you see her let her know I'm looking for her. And if you're still not doing okay, call Elena or someone to take you home."

Bonnie watched the Gilbert boy walk in the same direction Brad and Lily went before her hands went to her knees, bending at her waist, breathing deeply. "Okay. Okay, calm down, Bonnie."

She stared absently at the ground, thinking. The last time she saw Brad, Lily, Jeremy, and Anna was years ago. "He said Mystic Falls," she murmured, straighten up. "What is going on?" she questioned frantically, tears lining her eyes. "Damon. Damon?!" She started walking in the same direction as Jeremy.

Her hands shook as she neared the the lights, hearing the sound of music grow louder with each step. Her walk slowed to a stop as she realized her surrounding looked familiar. She turned to the left seeing the remains of Fell's Church not too far from her. Without hesitation, she began walking toward the ruined church. As she neared the once sacred grounds a body came into view.

She paused watching the figure bend down, picking up something off the ground.

The young witch hesitantly took a step forward, stopping when the mysterious figure's head snapped in her direction.

"Bonnie?" a familiar voice called out.

The girl in question shoulders sagged in relief recognizing the voice immediately. "Stefan," she stated, hastily making her way to him.

The youngest Salvatore dropped whatever he had in his hand, eyes wide in confusion. "Bonnie? What-" A grunt escaped him as her arms wrapped around his torso, her face in his chest. "Bonnie?"

"God, Stefan," she began, pulling back to look at his face. "What is going on? I just saw Jeremy and he said Elena can come get me. Which isn't possible because she's sleep. And he looks…" she paused for a second shaking her head. "He looks so young. And how and why are we back in Mystic Falls?" she finished, the words coming out of her mouth like rapid fire.

"Bonnie, what are you talking about? Why are you up here? You should be down in the tomb, doing the spell. How did you get up here so fast?"

She stepped back, cocking her head. "Tomb?"

Before Stefan could say more, someone interrupted them.

"Nice to see you guys again," the person began. "Loving the new look Bonnie."

Bonnie stared in shock at the person before not believing her eyes. "Ben?" she whispered.

"Well, don't look so surprised to see me." He dropped an unconscious Jeremy at his feet.

"I thought I told you to leave," Stefan stated, moving in front of Bonnie.

Ben shrugged. "I considered it. Then I thought: screw you."

"Hey, hero." Anna appeared out of nowhere. "I'm going down there to get my mother."

"Anna?" the young witch murmured, gripping Stefan's jacket. "What is happening? Why…"

The Salvatore placed a reassuring hand on Bonnie's before stepping forward. "I can't let you do that."

"Well, Ben's about to make a main course of out Elena's little brother. So, you can stop me or him." Anna lifted a shoulder. "Your choice." She sped into the tomb before Stefan could stop her.

Bonnie dropped her hand, trying to comprehend what was going on. She could hear the two vampires talking but she pays them no attention.

She shouldn't be here. Here in Mystic Falls. Seeing Anna and Ben, who are supposed to be dead. Her gaze found Jeremy's body as she began to breathe heavily. The last time Anna and Ben were alive was in 2009.

2009.

How is this possible? Did someone do this to her? Did Bonnie somehow do this to herself?

"…to beat me," Ben finished, bringing Bonnie out of her daze just in time to see him rushing to Stefan.

She saw Stefan move to defend himself but her arm quickly reached out, flicking her fingers, breaking the unseasoned vampire's neck.

The youngest Salvatore looked back Bonnie in shock, wondering how she reached such a level of power so fast.

"When did you learn that?" Stefan questioned, moving to pick up his arsenal tool, setting Ben on fire before he woke up.

Bonnie squinted at the blazing fire as the heat warmed her skin. "It's 2009, isn't it?" she questioned quietly, feeling numb, not ready for the answer to her question that she already knew.

Stefan tilted his head, confused by her question. "Yes," he said slowly, walking cautiously to Bonnie. "Are you okay?"

The young witch swallowed thickly, shaking her head. "No."

"Okay, let's get back to your grand—" Stefan began but was cut by a familiar scream.

Before the scream could end Stefan was back down in the tomb, leaving Bonnie alone.

She stood there for a moment her mind trying to catch up to what point in time she was currently in. A strangled gasp sounded as all the pieces started to come together.

The night they opened the tomb. The night her Grams died.

Another scream knocked her back to reality. Hurriedly, she ran down to the church's ruins, trying to ignore the panic that started to set in.

Bonnie's feet didn't stop moving even as Elena came into view. As her gaze found her grandmother, a painful sob erupted from her. She crashed into her Grams, wrapping her arms around her, squeezing tightly.

"Grams!" a twin shout echoed throughout the church ruins.

"Bonnie?" Elena whispered in horror. "What is—is she—what is happening?"

The older Bonnie pulled out of her embrace, locking gaze with her Grams.

The eldest witch brows hiked, staring at her granddaughter's face, her mouth open in shock. "You're…" she trailed off, her hand caressing Bonnie's face, gently wiping away her tears. "How?"

Bonnie gave a broken smile, shaking her head. "I don't know."

"Grams?" the younger Bonnie whispered, eyes still wide in shock. "What's going on?"

The older Bennetts continued staring at one another. "It's you, Bonnie."

The younger Bonnie shook her head slowly, not understanding.

"Grams, listen to me," the older Bonnie began, grabbing her grandmother's arms tightly. "You need to get to the hospital right now."

"Bonnie, what—"

"I don't know," she cut Sheila off, "I don't know how or why I'm here. All I know is that you need to get to the hospital. Please." Her voiced cracked, trying to pull Grams to the exit.

Sheila blinked rapidly before nodding. She took a step to leave but was held back by her granddaughter.

"Grams," the younger Bonnie whispered, eyes wide in fear, looking between her Grams and the girl that wore her face. She just shook her head, unable to form any more words.

"It's okay," Sheila stated strongly, reassuring her granddaughter.

Bonnie tighten her grip. "No," she whispered harshly.

"Bonnie, if we don't get to the hospital now, she's going to die." Her tone was soft but her face reflected how serious she was. "You can come or not but we're leaving."

"Wait!" Elena yelled. "Stefan and Damon are stuck. We have to get them out."

Wordlessly, the older Bonnie quickly moved to the tomb glancing at Stefan ignoring his confused face as she placed her hand on the invisible barrier. "It's done." She removed her hand. "Let's go." Her hand now holding her Grams'.

The younger Bonnie watched unsurely as they exited the church ruins. From her peripheral, she could see Elena running to Stefan.

Her heart was still racing from shock. She didn't know how to process this. Her brows hiked remembering Grams words. "She's me?" She blinked rapidly before running out of the church ruins. As soon as she surfaced she bumped into herself.

She tensed as her copy held out her hand.

"Keys." The other Bonnie stated.

It took the younger of the two a few seconds to register what was being asked of her. She quickly retrieved her keys, placing them in Bonnie's hand, careful not to come in contact with her skin.

The older Bonnie swallowing thickly taking in the frighten look on her younger self. As much as she hated what she was experiencing now she would rather her experience this than the death of her grandmother. She wanted to reach out, to comfort her, but she knew herself well enough to know she was not ready for that. Instead, she nodded towards the car. "Let's go."

:::::

Once Sheila was admitted the questions started.

"How did you get here?"

"You're not supposed to be here, Bonnie?"

"Where did you come from?"

"Bonnie, girl, what have you done?"

"How did you know about Grams?"

The older Bonnie sighed heavily, dropping into one of the hospital chairs. "I don't know, okay. I don't know how I got here." She paused, gazing at her hands. "2016. Before I got here I was in 2016." She looked at her self.

The younger Bonnie's jaw unhinged, looking to her grandmother. "2016?"

"What was the last thing you remember?" Shelia questioned from her hospital bed, wincing as the blood pressure cuff tighten around her arm.

"I was—I was at the armory. Trying to save Damon from Tyler."

The younger Bennett straighten her posture, slightly glaring at her duplicate. "Wait. Saving Damon? From Tyler?"

"I know. I know. Our—your relationship has—is going to change." She sighed. "Ugh, Grams. I don't know what to do. I just changed a pivotal point in time by saving you." She started to panic. "How will this change 2016 and everything that happened in between?" Her hands began to shake. "Will me telling you this affect the future. Does where I came from even exist now? Can I even go back?" Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Bonnie, calm down," Shelia ordered sternly. "We will figure this out."

Bonnie stared at her grandmother, not acknowledging her last statement. She remembered once upon a time believing every word that left her Grams but this time was different.

She could deal with the witches, vampires, hybrids, originals, and psychotic siphoners but she traveled through time. To 2009. How would she fix this? Is there even a solution?

A knock on the door brought Bonnie back to reality.

"Hello, ladies," the doctor greeted.

Shelia smiled. "Hey, Doug."

The doctor moved to the head of her bed. "So, we ran some test as quickly as possible per your granddaughter's request." He glanced back at Bonnie, doing a double take. "Oh, I didn't know you were a twin."

The older Bonnie smiled tightly. "Yeah, just came back in town. The results please."

"Yes, um," the doctor looked back at Shelia. "Your BNP levels were extremely high so we're going to keep you here for maybe three or four days and have you on some medications to lower those levels and keep an eye out on your health as a whole."

"BNP?" the younger Bonnie asked.

"It's a protein made by the heart and blood vessels. And when it's too high it indicates heart failure. And fortunately, we were early enough to catch it before permanent damage was done."

Shelia exhaled loudly. "Three to four days?"

"Grams," both Bonnie's said before looking at one another.

The younger Bennett cleared her throat. "You're staying. No matter how long."

"Fine but I don't like it."

The doctor chuckled. "Well, I'll take you not liking it than have you refuse treatment."

"Which she's not going to do," the future Bonnie interjected, crossing her arms over her chest.

Sheila rolled her eyes. "Doug, never mind those two. You know I'll do what's ever needed to get better."

"Alright." Doug moved to the door. "I'll have your nurse come in with your meds and I'll come to check on you later, okay?"

"Okay."

The doctor waved goodbye and exited the room.

"So," the younger Bonnie began.

"You guys go home and look through Emily's grimoire, see if you can find anything about time travel." Shelia reclined the head of her bed, sighing.

"I'm not leaving you," both Bonnie's announced.

"And besides there isn't anything in Emily's grimoire about time travel. I've looked through that thing over a thousand times," the troubled older Bonnie stated.

"Well, look through it again, just to be sure. There's a spell that makes it easier—"

"I know it," the older Bonnie interrupted.

Shelia nodded proudly. "Good. Listen, you two, I'm okay. They have me hooked up, monitoring my heart and they're giving me medicine to help. I'm okay," she emphasized with a glare. "Go home, search through the grimoires and come back first thing in the morning."

Bonnie sigh as she peaked at her copy before looking to her grandmother. "You seem just fine with my future self being here."

"Baby girl, me worrying will only make my health worsen. And I know we're going to figure it out. Whatever this is."

Bonnie sighed, biting her lip briefly. "Okay." She placed the room's phone in Gram's bed. "Call me if you need anything, no matter the time."

"I will." Shelia smiled softly as Bonnie kissed her cheek.

The other Bonnie moved to her grandmother, letting down the bed rail to sit. She placed her hand on her Grams' cheek, the opposite of the one her younger self kissed. "I missed you so much." Her voice catching.

Shelia wiped her tears away. "I'm so sorry you had to lose me. To go through that pain."

"So much." She shook her head. "And if saving you changed everything in the future…I don't care. If I can stop her—me, from going through that same pain…"

"Maybe you're here to change that, maybe not, but we'll figure it out."

Bonnie closed her eyes, nuzzling into her grandmother's hand. "Alright," she whispered. Her eyes slowly opened before she kissed Sheila cheek, raising to her feet. "We'll see you tomorrow morning. Early."

Grams rolled her eyes. "I see your bossiness hasn't changed."

Forcing a smile, Bonnie moved to the door, near her younger self. "I love you, Grams."

"I love you, too."

:::::

"Um, this isn't home," the inexperienced Bonnie noticed as her older said pulled into an old abandon house driveway.

"Yeah, this is the Old Witch House."

"Old Witch House? Why are we here?"

They got out of the car, the older ahead of the younger, as they walked onto the house's porch.

"For some answers, hopefully."

The younger Bonnie raised her phone, using it as a flashlight. "Um, from the looks of it, no one lives here."

Bonnie walked with determination in every step. "One hundred witches died here, our ancestors, including Emily. Hopefully, she can tell me why I'm here and how I can get back."

The younger copy shuddered in fear remembering Emily "I think it would be best if I stayed out here, you know, just in case she feels like body jumping again."

The older Bonnie looked back at herself. "She won't do it again."

Bonnie hiked an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

"Because she had one goal and doesn't need us—you anymore."

The younger Bennett hesitated before motioning herself to continue onward.

The stairs creaked as they made their way to the basement, their only source of light coming from Bonnie's phone.

The younger double coughed as the dust entered her airway. "What now?" she asked, clearing her throat.

"I need some candles," the other murmured, searching through the dark. "There should be some down here."

"There," Bonnie pointed out, flashing her phone's light on the object in need.

She grabbed the candle, putting it in the center of the room. " _Incendia_ ," she whispered into the night, watching as the flame come alive. She took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind. "Emily?

Nothing happened.

She tried again, her voice sterner "Emily."

The younger Bennett yelped, seeing a figure appear before her eyes. "Oh my God."

Emily stood before them calm and collective, staring at her descendants. "Bonnie," she nodded to each girl.

The older Bonnie spoke. "Why am I here? Did you do this?

"This was not my doing. It was your magic protecting you."

"My magic protecting me? Sending me back in time is protecting me? Why didn't it just stop Tyler from making me hit my head?"

Their ancestor shrugged, hands linked in front of her. "I don't know. Magic does what it wants at times."

"And you and the others didn't do a thing to stop my magic from doing this? After all the times you guys intervened because of my actions and you thought time travel was the one you needed to sit out?"

Emily remained unruffled. "Bonnie—"

"How do I get back?" Bonnie interrupted.

The older witch inclined her chin slightly. "Whenever your magic chooses."

Bonnie exhaled sharply, staring off briefly before looking at Emily. "When I get back will things change?"

"Yes."

Bonnie abruptly turned and walked out.

The younger identical watched her older self retreat before looking at her ancestor, not knowing what to say.

"It will work out." Was Emily's parting words. The flame on the candle dying as she disappeared.

:::::

Her nose burned as she fought back tears. None of this made sense. Why would her magic send her back in time as protection? Why not just heal her from the injury right then?

She hit the roof of the car, frustrated.

"Um…" Bonnie heard behind her. She turned to see her self standing there, unsure of what to do.

She wiped away a stray tear clearing her throat. "Did she say anything else?"

The younger Bonnie swallowed thickly seeing her face displaying such despair. "Um, just that it'll work out."

Bonnie scoffed shaking her head, opening the driver's door. "Let's go home."

* * *

 _ **please leave your thoughts/comments/predictions.**_


End file.
